WAIMATE NOT FAVOURED

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23110, 26 January 1945, Page 3

WAIMATE NOT FAVOURED

Municipal Housing Programme Timaru Scheme Mentioned

The housing scheme undertaken by the Timaru Borough Council was mentioned in an exhaustive survey of the housing situation made by the Town Clerk (Mr B. S. Runciman), in which he stated that investors were not putting capital into home-building because costs were too high, and gave this as his principal reason for advising the Waimate Borough Council against undertaking a municipal building programme to overtake an estimated shortage of 41 houses in the town.

In support of his attitude Mr Runciman said that the cheapest dwellings built by the Timaru Borough Council cost £1033 for four rooms and £1251 for five rooms. “Based on these figures, the annual charge on a four or five-roomed house would be, with interest at 31 per cent., £62 and £75 respectively over a period of 25 years. To this would have to be added the cost of the section, rates, insurance and upkeep, say £2O, making a total annual charge of £B2 and £95. Assuming a rental of 25/- and 30/- a week, the revenue would be £65 and £7B, showing an annual loss of £l7 in each case. Certainly the Council would have the places free at the end of the period, but it would be showing a deficiency of £425 each,” he said.

Costs in Waimate

Figures were quoted to show that the average cost of house-building in Waimate receded from £845 in 1925 to £514 in 1933 (slump year), then gradually rising until for the current year the average cost of permits issued to date was £llBs—more than double the cost of homes built in 1933.

Remarking that the value of a municipal housing policy depended upon whether an increase in construction would result, or men and material be taken from private builders, Mr Runciman quoted Mr J. M. Fraser, Town Clerk of Rangiora, in a statement that of 352,000 houses in New' Zealand less than 700 were municipal houses, and of these 400 were erected in Christchurch and Dunedin. Of 97 boroughs 18 had housing schemes and only 12 had built more than a dozen houses. “Generally speaking, local authorities have not gone in extensively for housing, those which did start schemes years ago often finding them the reverse of payable,” he said Facilitating Building Mr Runciman expressed the view that existing channels of housing construction could be assisted to speed up building by steps taken to secure supplies of timber and additional skilled labour, together with utilisation of natural resources—the limestone, gravel and clay to be found in the district. The principal building firm operating in the district with 12 houses to build, could employ a further 10 men providing timber, which was slow in coming to hand, but was available, he stated. “The hardness of the limestone presents serious difficulties in working the deposits,” Mr Runciman stated. “At present concrete blocks are coming into use. It may be possible

for the Council to assist in the manufacture of these on a fairly large scale, thus permitting the firm now making blocks to devote their attention entirely to laying them. Bricks have to be obtained from Timaru, and with our excellent deposits of clay the Council may be able to re-establish this industry. The municipality would not face the same difficulties experienced by private enterprise due to the erratic demand, and costs would be reduced.” Steps in this direction would not onlv facilitate provision of houses for residents and for returning servicemen, but would also assist in providing employment, it was pointed out.

Bowling Women bowlers representing Phoenix Club (Oamaru) defeated Waimate by 79 points to 56 in a match played on the Waimate green. Waimate names are mentioned first in the following details of play:— Mesdames Winning. Stevens. Healey, Kirk (s) 15; Mesdames —, Henderson, Bremner, Watts 14. Mesdames Wilson, Lyall, Gunn, Grant (s) 8; Mesdames Brown, Hutchins, Jamieson, McLean (s) 27. Mesdames Runciman, Palmer, Rathgen, Lewis (s) 13; Mesdames Cox, Walker, Reid, Miss Symington (s) 23. Mesdames Dickson, Averis, Richards, Reeve (s) 20; Mesdames Bruce, Coatman, Taylor, Kerr (s) 15. Lambs Killed Two dogs got into a paddock of lambs at Hook one night recently, killing nine and maiming several others.